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News Release - State Board Adopts Graduation Guidelines

State Board adopts graduation guidelines

Board also holds study session to discuss student data system inBloom

The Colorado State Board of Education met for its regularly scheduled meeting May 15 & 16. Highlights from the meeting include:

High School Graduation Guidelines

The state board voted to unanimously approve a set of guidelines for high school graduation. CDE staff and representatives of the Graduation Guidelines Council presented the proposed high school graduation guidelines. The board heard public comment and held a rich discussion on the proposed guidelines. By statute, districts will implement their locally-developed graduation guidelines which meet or exceed the state’s guidelines in 2014 for 6th-graders for the first graduating class of 2021.

inBloom

The state board held a study session to review inBloom, a nonprofit provider of technology services that allows states and public school districts to integrate student data and third-party applications to support sustainable, cost-effective personalized learning.

Representatives from inBloom, Jefferson County School District (the Colorado pilot district using inBloom’s services), the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and the Electronic Privacy Information Center participated in the study session. To view the inBloom fact sheet, click here.

Educator Effectiveness

The State Council on Educator Effectiveness presented recommendations on the performance evaluations of “other licensed personnel” or “specialized service professionals.” The state council, per statute and rule is required to provide the state board with recommendations on the system for all licensed personnel. The “other licensed personnel/specialized service providers” category in the S.B. 10-191 rules has been “reserved” while the state council developed recommendations. The state board and department will use recommendations to assist in drafting appropriate rules to guide the evaluation of specialized service providers. A notice of rulemaking based on the state council recommendations will occur in June or August. To view the presentation to the board, click here. To view the council recommendations, click here.

Licensure Content Exams

The board voted to approve the updated PRAXIS II exams in English Language Arts and Mathematics for use in Colorado. These updated assessments will replace the current PRAXIS assessments in these content areas. The board will discuss and establish passing cut scores at upcoming meetings.

Outstanding Educators

The state board recognized exceptional online teacher, Rochelle Kolhouse (Falcon Virtual Academy) and guidance counselor, Christine Hagge (PSD Global Academy) with 2012-13 Online Educator Recognition Awards. Selection of these educators relied heavily on responses being evidence-based to prove that the practitioner’s role and strategies were transferring to positive outcomes and growth for online students.

The board unanimously approved Pueblo City School District’s request to become a district of innovation and its requests on behalf of Risley Middle School, Roncalli Middle School and Pitts Middle School to become schools of innovation.